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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
RBI's 50 bps repo rate cut bonanza: Here's how it will impact homebuyers' EMIs
Although the festive season is still months away, RBI's 50 bps rate cut is welcome news for prospective homebuyers, as it will help lower overall borrowing costs. For existing homebuyers, the RBI's rate cut means they can now opt for a higher loan amount without increasing their EMI. The central bank has also adopted a neutral stance, signaling that it is unlikely to either cut or hike rates aggressively in the near term. This suggests that further rate cuts are not expected anytime soon, making it an opportune moment to buy a home—especially for those who are ready and need one. However, experts caution that undecided buyers should not base their homebuying decisions solely on lower interest rates. Other financial and personal factors must also be considered. Also, the actual benefit, however, hinges on how quickly banks pass on the cut by reducing their Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rates (MCLR). 'With the RBI announcing a third rate cut this calendar year, bringing the total repo rate reduction to 100 basis points (bps), we're seeing a gradual but positive shift for borrowers. Although each cut, including the recent 50 bps reduction, may seem modest in isolation, cumulatively they help ease the overall cost of borrowing,' says Deepak Kumar Jain, founder and CEO of a loan distribution company. For instance, on a ₹50 lakh home loan over 20 years, the EMI drops by around ₹3,164. For loans of ₹1 crore and ₹1.5 crore, the monthly savings are approximately ₹6,329 and ₹9,493, respectively. While these savings aren't massive, they do improve affordability, especially in a high-cost housing market. The rate cuts since the beginning of the year also mean that borrowers can now opt for a higher loan amount while keeping their EMI unchanged. With the RBI having reduced the repo rate by 100 bps so far this year, home loan rates are expected to fall further as banks begin to transmit the benefits of the monetary policy. 'This means if someone is paying a 9% interest rate for a ₹1 crore home loan and the interest rate comes down to 8%, then by keeping the EMI constant, they can opt for a higher loan amount by almost ₹7.5 lakhs,' says Abhishek Kumar, founder and chief investment advisor of SahajMoney, a financial planning firm. The actual transmission to the end borrowers would depend on how quickly the banks pass on the benefits through lower Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rate (MCLR) rates. Thanks to the 100 bps rate cut this year, including a fresh 50 bps slash, Priya, a young IT professional in Pune, sees her ₹50 lakh home loan EMI reduced by over ₹3,000. That saving bridges the gap between rent and ownership, letting her seriously plan her move from tenant to homeowner. The RBI has also cut the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 100 bps. This does not have a direct impact on home loan interest rates but there is an indirect impact. 'The reduction in the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) will help boost liquidity in the banking system, which means that banks have more funds to lend. Developers will be able to access more capital for their projects, and this can positively impact project completion timelines. It also gives banks the option to reduce home loan interest rates, which will have again positively impact sentiment in the affordable and mid-income segments,' says Anuj Puri, chairman, Anarock Group. 'With this RBI rate cut, the EMIs will come down by almost 10-12%. For example, if a person wants to continue with the same tenure the EMIs will be lesser, however if someone opts for a shorter tenure, the EMIs can remain the same and the loan can be paid within a shorter tenure,' said Sanjay Daga, CEO and managing director of Anex Advisory. Assume you have a ₹50 lakh home loan with an interest rate of 8% per annum and a tenure of 20 years. - Loan Amount: ₹50,00,000 - Interest Rate: 8% per annum - Tenure: 20 years - EMI: approximately ₹41,833 - Loan Amount: ₹50,00,000 - Interest Rate: 7.5% per annum - Tenure: 20 years - EMI: approximately ₹38,781 In this scenario, the EMI would decrease by approximately ₹3,052 ( ₹41,833 - ₹38,781), which is around a 7.3% reduction. If you choose to keep the EMI the same ( ₹41,833) and opt for a shorter tenure, you could potentially save around 2-3 years on your loan repayment, depending on the lender's calculations. The RBI has also shifted to a neutral stance. Which means that they are neither inclined to cut nor hike interest rates aggressively in the immediate future. This means that further rate cuts in the immediate future are not likely. Hence it makes this the perfect time to buy a house if you really need one. However, homebuyers who are undecided should not base their decision solely on the reduction in home loan interest rates. 'Since floating rate loans fluctuate over the loan tenure, interest rates may rise or fall in the future. Instead, buyers should also consider their other financial goals and ensure they can afford the EMI payments throughout different economic cycles,' explains Kumar. Anagh Pal is a personal finance expert who writes on real estate, tax, insurance, mutual funds and other topics
Economic Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Interest rates are falling, time to switch your home loan regime: Save above Rs 8 lakh by switching to EBLR; Know how
What is EBLR? Live Events How much savings in monthly home loan EMI can you expect after switching to EBLR rate? Home loan's outstanding balance: Rs 30 lakh Remaining tenure of the home loan: 15 years EBLR EMI at 8.65%: Rs 29,807 Table showing the calculation of home loan EMI savings on switching to EBLR Interest Rate Regime MCLR BPLR Base rate Existing interest rate 9% 11.15% 10.40% Current EMI Rs 30,428 Rs 34,381 Rs 32,976 Monthly savings by shifting to EBLR Rs 621 Rs 4,574 Rs 3,170 Annual savings by shifting to EBLR Rs 7,457 Rs 38,036 Rs 32,976 Total Savings during repayment Rs 1,11,859 Rs 5,70,540 Rs 8,23,402 What are the charges which bank levy for such a shift in interest rate regime and generally how long does it take for such a request to process? Interest rates have started falling recently, with most of the lenders reducing their interest rates after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the repo rate by 0.5% within a span of two months. The lower interest rates will result in huge savings for home loan borrowers, as their home loan EMI will come down. If they decide to pay the same EMI amount, despite a rate cut, their home loan will be repaid much faster, and they will save a good amount on interest. However, not all home loan borrowers will benefit equally. The benefit of these cuts depends on their interest rate the biggest question is: which interest rate regime will offer you lower home loan EMIs? There are four interest rate regimes, which vary based on the timing of your home loan acquisition. Borrowers who secured their home loans before 2010 had the option to take them on the BPLR rate, and those who took their home loans between July 1, 2010, and March 31, 2016, had to take them on the base rate. Similarly, those who took their home loans between April 1, 2016, and September 30, 2019, had to take them on a Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rate (MCLR). However, from October 1, 2019, the External Benchmark Lending Rate (EBLR) replaced MCLR. So, the question arises—which interest rate regime (BBLR, base rate, MCLR or EBLR) can make the case for a lower home loan interest cost and thus a lower home loan EMI?Read below to find out how much money you can save by switching interest rate to or External Benchmark Lending Rate, is a framework used by banks in India to set interest rates on home loans, where the rates are directly linked to an external benchmark, such as the RBI's repo rate. This means that when the RBI adjusts its repo rate, EBLR-linked loan rates can also who took out a home loan before EBLR have to pay a higher home loan EMI. This is because the EBLR rate is considered one of the most competitive rates amongst all regimes, and now it offers one of the lowest interest rates after the RBI cut the repo rates twice by 0.25% in its last two monetary policy Kumar, a SEBI-registered RIA and Founder of SahajMoney, says, 'EBLR is directly linked to the RBI's repo rate (6.00% (repo rate) + 2.65% spread), making it more transparent and reflective of interest rate scenarios.'While EBLR was launched, banks offered all existing borrowers the option to switch to EBLR; however, not all borrowers exercised that you are among them, then chances are that you would still be paying a higher interest rate on your home loan. It is the time to check the interest rate on your home loan and take action to save on the interest amount that you are paying just because of being to CEO Adhil Shetty, the older benchmark rates are stickier in comparison to BPLR. 'Around 40% of all floating rate bank loans are still on MCLR and BPLR, where the rates may be much higher compared to repo-linked loans. So, it's advisable to speak to your bank and convert your loan to a repo-linked one,' he home loan interest rates are falling, calculations show that it is beneficial for borrowers to shift to EBLR rate if their home loan is under MCLR or base rate or BPLR per the calculations, if the EMI on EBLR rate (8.65%) is Rs 29,807 then you can save up to 38,036 in a year in comparison with BPLR. In comparison with MCLR you can save up to Rs 7,457 in a SahajMoneyAssumptions:1. BPLR rate is after 4% discount by bank2. In EBLR there are 2 additional charges CRP (Credit Risk Premium) and BSP (Business Strategic Premium) that change with credit profile and with product. We have considered only 8.65% without CRP and BSP.3. EBLR stays constant at 8.65% and other interest rates does not can change your home loan interest rate regime any day you wish as your bank will process your request if you apply to switch your home loan to Sharma, Founder- Radian Finserv, says, "Banks typically charge a nominal conversion or administrative fee, around Rs. 5000 + GST. The shift usually takes 7 to 15 working days, depending on the bank's internal process and borrower documentation. It's a one-time cost that can result in long-term savings."Shetty agrees with Sharma and says if you are converting your loan with the same bank, you are usually charged a processing fee. The turnaround time for this conversion is generally a few days and usually there is no paperwork involved since the property's documents are already with the when transferring home loan to another bank and converting it into EBLR can mean incurring a cost of 0.5% to 1% of the loan says transferring your loan to a new bank makes sense where there's a substantial discount in interest rates being offered along with other benefits like easier pre-payment terms.'The cost of a transfer is usually 0.5-1% of the loan. The costs include processing fee, legal fees, MOD charges, and pre-EMI interest on the new loan, and pre-closure costs (such as simple interest or pre-closure fees) on the old loan. You will easily recover the costs in a year if the rate difference is substantial. The Turnaround time is typically a fortnight, but may get lengthier if the bank insists on additional scrutiny,' says Shetty.
Mint
25-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
How you can save up to ₹7,000 on interest income under the new tax regime
MUMBAI : Though the new tax regime offers a simpler framework by eliminating deductions and exemptions, some incomes are still eligible for tax benefits. One such income is the interest on post office savings accounts. Under the new regime, taxpayers can claim a tax exemption of up to ₹ 3,500 on a single account and up to ₹ 7,000 on a joint account under Section 10(15) of the Income Tax Act. While deductions under Sections 80TTA and 80TTB—applicable to interest from savings accounts—are no longer available in the new regime, certain exemptions under Section 10 continue to be valid. 'Interest earned in statutory provident funds under Section 10(11), recognized provident funds up to 9.5% under Section 10(12), Sukanya Samriddhi accounts under Section 10(11A), and Post Office savings accounts under Section 10(15) is exempt under the new tax regime," said Abhishek Kumar, a Sebi-registered investment advisor and the founder of SahajMoney. 'Interest from post office savings accounts continues to be exempt under Section 10(15), and this is applicable under both the old and new tax regimes," added Kinjal Bhuta, a chartered accountant and the secretary of Bombay Chartered Accountants' Society. "Taxpayers are not required to add this exempt income to their gross taxable income," said Kumar. 'However, they must report it as 'exempt income' in their income tax return (ITR) form." If the interest earned exceeds ₹ 3,500 for an individual account or ₹ 7,000 for a joint account, the excess amount is taxable and must be declared under 'income from other sources'. Opening a post office savings account is straightforward and can be done both online and offline. According to Kinjal Bhuta, the steps are as follows: Step 1: Visit the nearest post office branch. Step 2: Obtain and fill out the account opening form. Forms are also available for download from the official India Post website. Step 3: Submit the form, along with know your customer (KYC) documents such as Aadhaar and PAN. Step 4: Deposit the minimum required amount to activate the account. It takes 2-3 working days to open an account. 'As per the latest notification from the ministry of finance, Aadhaar and PAN are mandatory for opening a new post office savings account. If Aadhaar hasn't been issued yet, one must provide proof of Aadhaar enrollment and furnish the Aadhaar number within six months," Kumar added. Any resident Indian aged 10 years or above can open an account. Minors can have accounts opened by parents or guardians. While the process is mostly hassle-free, some procedural quirks remain. 'There is a penalty of ₹ 50 plus GST annually if the minimum balance of ₹ 500 is not maintained," added Kumar. Failure to make any transaction in the post office savings account for three fiscal years also makes it dormant, and one needs to do the KYC again to revive it. Still, post office accounts remain an attractive option for many, especially those looking for low-risk savings and tax efficiency. The interest rate on post office savings accounts is 4%.
